Abstract:

Nowadays, when the use of information and communication technology is becoming everyday part of our life, the increased implementation of this trend is also in mechanical engineering. The ability to use CAD systems is becoming prerequisite of almost every expert in mechanical engineering. Based on this fact the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Institute of Technology and Business in České Budějovice implemented mandatory subjects such as Computer Aided Design I.; Computer Aided Design II. Computer Aided Manufacturing in education process. Its priority is that the designer could create all of the needed documentation within the comfort of his own personal computer and should not have to spend long hours at drawing board. The aim of the CAD systems is to facilitate and simplify the routine work of each designer by modern approaches and features that expand the possibilities of construction, not only the drawing documentation, but also the possibilities to design geometric objects and the subsequent proposal of other technological parameters.

Using CAD applications in pre-production stage of mechanical engineering is currently already common practice in almost every company. The need of connection of students with the production sector is therefore becoming one of necessary conditions for subsequent application of graduates. The priority task of the Institute of Technology and Business in České Budějovice is the effort to enhance the professional literacy of students in relation to the current state of industrialized practice as well as efforts to develop their professional skills during their studies and by that to facilitate the application of students at labour market.

The contribution is focused on basic features and functionality that program Autodesk Inventor can provide to the user, and how CAD software can be efficient in practice and how it can be used to improve the quality of entire production process.

The aim of the contribution is also to analyse the importance and the position of the subject “Computer Aided Manufacturing” in education at the Institute of Technology and Business in České Budějovice, particularly in the possibility of applying the acquired knowledge in practice and also to pay attention on the characteristics of CAD systems.

Keywords:

Computer Aided Manufacturing, Computer Aided Design, Mechanical Engineering, Link between theory and practice.